Hospital bed



June 3, 1952 F. o. THOMPSON HOSPITAL BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1948 INVENTOR.

FLOYD 0. THOMPJON ATTJ/E/YEYS HOSPITAL BED 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1948 INVENTOR. FZ 070 O 77/0MP50N June 3, 1952 F, o. THOMPSON HOSPITAL BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 14, 1948 INVENTOR. FLOYD O. THOMPSON Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to hospital beds, and more particularly to a bed formed with a movable central portion. I

It is an object of this invention to provide a bed having a movable central portion with remotely disposed means in the head of the bed for moving the central portion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bed of this kind which includes a head formed of a hollow body forming compartments for receiving articles for use by the patient and also including an operating means for actuating the movable central portion of the mattress and springs.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation of a bed including a sprin and mattress constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 5 showing the movable mattress portion in open position,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 3,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l|0 of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line H-|l of Figure 2,

Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of the movable mattress member, and

Figure 13 is a bottom plan view of the main mattress member.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals I and I6 designate generally the head and foot members of a bedstead which are connected together by side rails I8.

The rails l8 have mounted thereon a spring structure generally designated as l9 and a main mattress member 20 is mounted on the spring structure I9 and includes a sheet 20a secured thereto in any suitable manner as by snap fasteners 20b, Figures 11 and 13. The main spring structure l9 includes an auxiliary or movable spring structure including a frame I! having springs 2| mounted on upper bars 22 thereof.

The frame I! slidably engages on the upper and lower sides of one of the side rails l8 and the lower side of the frame I! has secured thereto a pair of spaced and parallel gear racks 23. A housing 24 is carried by a pair of transverse angle shaped guide members 25 which span the rails l8 and are fixed between the same, the housing 24 being formed with elongated slots 26 in the opposite sides 21 thereof within which the angle guide members 25 are adapted to loosely engage.

The housing 24 comprises a compartment for a bed pan 24a and is provided with laterally directed access door 10 which may be hinged at H and provided with a latch 12 to secure the same closed. Housing 24 is located beneath the auxiliary spring structure I! and is exposed when the latter is moved laterally outwardly as will appear later. The main spring structure I9 is formed with a central opening 28 within which the supplemental spring structure I! is adapted to loosely engage. The opening 28 extends inwardly from one edge of the main spring l9 and terminates in substantially the center of the main spring.

' The mattress 20 includes a main mattress body 29 formed with an opening 30 adapted to overlie the opening 28 of the spring l9 and a supplemental or movable mattress section 3| is adapted when in normal position to engage in the opening 30. The supplemental mattress includes a supplemental sheet am secured thereto by any suitable means such as the snap fasteners 3lb, Figures 11 and 12. The supplemental mattress 3l engages on the top of the springs 2| and is movable laterally with the springs 2| and the frame I! relative to housing 24 and the bed pan 24a contained therein.

The supplemental or movable spring structure IT with the mattress section 3| is adapted to be shifted laterally by means of a shaft 32 which has a pair of spaced spur gears 33 fixed on one end thereof and meshing with the racks 23.

The shaft 32 extends beneath the bed frame in the direction of the head l5 and has secured on the forward end thereof a sprocket 33'. Sprocket 33 is splined on shaft 32 by splines 32'. The head l5 comprises a housing formed of outer and inner end walls 34 and 35, opposite side walls 36 and a top wall 37. The outer end wall 34 includes a large door 34a which permits access to the interior of the head to repair or adjust the parts therein. Door 34a is hinged at 34b to the outer end wall 34 and is secured in a closed position by any suitable latch 13 actuated by knob 14 (Figure 8). In the present instance, the side Walls 35 and the top wall 3'! are formed integral with each other, the opposite edges of the side and top Walls being rolled or crimped to engage the outer and inner Walls 34 and 35 respectively.

The side walls 36 at their lower ends taperv downwardly to form tapered legs 38 on the lower ends of which are mounted casters 39.

rearward movement of the housing 4! 'I have provided'a sliding closure 56 which engages upper and lower guides 41 carried by the inner wall 35.

The closure 46 isconnected to the rear portion, of the housing 4: by means of a flexible housing operatingmember '48 which is trained over pulleys 49 andlifi carried by the inner and outerwalls .35 and 34 respectively of the head I5.

The flexible member 68 is also trained about a 'pulleylil carried by the outer wall Hand is then passed about apulley'52 carried by the rear wall of the housing 4!. Thefiexible member 48 is then extended about a pulley 53 which is carried by the outer wall 34 and is fixed at its terminal end'to. an eye .or fastening member 54 carried by the outer wall 34;

Preferably a spring. 55 is interposed in the .length of the flexible member 43 and a second spring 564s connected between the terminal .end =of-the flexible member 48 and the fastening mem- The shaft 4 3 has secured thereto a sprocket .51 about which a chain 58 is trained and -the chain 58 is also trained aboutthe sprocket A hand Wheel 59 is secured to the shaft 49 and confronts the closure 25. A receptacle housing .60 is carried by the inner wall .55 extending inwardly'from wal1 35 and a closure 6| isadapted to normally close the housing 65. A second-housing -52 which -is normally closed by sliding closure 53, isoarried by :the inner wall 35 and is adapted to receive in the present instance, a roll 54 of tOilet 'paper.

The end walls .55 of the housing 62 have disposedtherebetween-a r011 shaft 86 which engages -=spring loaded tubular bearings 51 carried by the end wall 65 and a spring 58 is disposed in each "tubular bearing Bl and normally holds the roller 'edges' thereof flush with the adjacent edges of *thespring i9 and the mattress 2%]. When it is desired to move the spring structure I! and the "mattress section 3|, the closure 45 is moved to open position and spring 44 will pull housing 35 toward the inner wall 35 so thatthe hand wheel 59 will projectout of the head I5. In this connection it is understood that the closure 46 is A shaft 7 40 is journaled in a housing 4! disposed within 7 secured in the closed position if necessary by any suitable latch 73 adapted to actuate leg knob 14.

Rotation of the hand wheel 59 in one direction will effect lateral movement of the spring section I! and the mattress section 3|. When the need for the lateral disposition of the movable mattress and spring sections has passed, these sections may be returned to their normal positioniby reverse rotation of hand wheel 59 and this hand wheel with housing 4| may be automatically moved within the confines of the head l5 by movement of closure 46 to closed position.

Movement of closure 43 to closed position will pull flexible member 48 therewith and housing 4| will be drawn inwardly of the space between the outer and inner walls 3 3 and 35 respectively of the head 15.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of this invention, such "changes and modifications being limited only by the scopeof the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I elaimjis:

:1, A hospital'be d comprising head and foot members, rails connecting'saidmembers together, a spring carried by saidrails including a centrally disposed laterally rn'ova'ole spring section, -a mattress on said spring, saidmattressincluding a centrally disposed-mattress section engaging said movable-spring section "and movable therewith,'a toothed rack fixed to said-spring'section, a *longitudinallydisposed shaft beneath said spring section,. a gear on oneend of said shaft 1 engaging said rack, a sprocket on the opposite end of said shaft, aic'ounter shaft disposedabove said firsttnamed shaft, means rotatably supporting said counter shaft on said head member, slidable means supporting said counter shaft supporting means formovement into and out of said head member, a sprocket'carried by said counter shaft, and a chain connecting. said sprockets together.

.2. A hospital bed comprising head and foot members, rails connecting said members together, said head member comprising a hollow housing, a spring engaging said rails, amattress on said spring, said spring including a centrally disposed and laterally movable spring. section, means supporting said section for lateral movement, saidlrnattress including a centrally disposed mattress section engaging said spring section and movable therewith, means for moving said spring and mattress sections, said means including an operator-carried by said head member inwardly of the same, and slidable means supporting said operator for movement into and out of said head member, a sliding closure, and means operatively connecting said closure and said operator whereby the latter will be moved to an operative extended position outwardly of said head member upon movement of said-closure to open position, and returned to an inoperative position inwardly of said head member upon moi-'ernent of said closure to a closed position.

3. A hospital bed comprising a pair of end members, side rails connecting said members together, one of said end members comprising hollow liousing,-a spring engaging said rails, said spring including a laterally movable spring section, means supporting said section for lateral movement, means for moving said spring section. said means including an operator carried by said one member in said housing, and'slidable means supporting said operator for movement into and out of said housing, a movable closure member, and means connecting said closure member to said operator whereby said operator will be moved to an operative extended position outwardly of said housing upon movement of said closure member to open position and returned to inoperative position within said housing upon movement of said closure to a closed position.

4. A hospital bed comprising a pair of end members, side rails connecting said members together, one of said end members comprising a hollow housing, a spring engaging said rails, said spring including a laterally movable spring section, means supporting said section for lateral movement, means for moving said spring section, said latter means including an operator carried 6 by said one member in said housing, and slidable means supporting said operator for movement into and out of said housing.

FLOYD O. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,490,029 Scheliga Apr. 8, 1924 1,545,415 Fazakerley July 7, 1945 2,105,040 Hurst Jan. 11, 1938 2,215,636 Comper Sept. 24, 1940 

